Volusia Audit May End In Punishment State Also Will Look Into Fraud In School Lunches

October 4, 1985|By Ian Johnson of The Sentinel Staff

DELAND — After an audit that showed more than $90,000 in federal funds was misspent in two Volusia County school lunch programs, school board officials are considering disciplinary action against an unspecified number of employees.

The early audit results, released last week, show that money was collected for lunches that never were served at one high school. At another one, unqualified students received free or subsidized lunches.

The county may be able to collect $60,000 of what it owes the federal government from employee performance bonds.

Duane Busse, school employee relations officer, said there will be a decision soon on whether action will be taken against the employees, none of whom were named in the audit report.

Assistant State Attorney Shawn Briese also said he will begin an investigation, which could take a month, to determine if criminal charges are warranted.

The audit shows $90,313 was missing from two high schools and describes the misuse of the free lunch programs.

At Seabreeze Senior High School, the federal government was billed for $81,185 for meals that were not served to students, according to the audit.

Cashiers told auditors they were told by the manager to ring up free meals on the cash register before the lunch period. One said the manager told her to punch into the cash register two breakfasts for every one served. The federal government was charged for 77,249 meals the school never served, the audit said.

In addition, the report said cafeteria employees told auditors that money collected from students for cafeteria meals was diverted to personal use. The report did not say who used the money.

Betty Smith, who was the manager of the Seabreeze cafeteria, was not rehired this year.

The audit shows Smith received a higher salary and more workers were hired based on the excess meals she claimed.

Smith could not be reached for comment.

At Ormond Beach Junior High School, the government was billed $9,128 for 8,042 free lunches served to students unqualified to receive them.

The audit said the student clerk did not match applications for free and subsidized meals with the master list used to award them. The practice was corrected in April, the audit says.

The county receives about $1.27 from the federal government for each free lunch served to a needy student and 87.5 cents for each reduced-price lunch.

Among the audit's recommendations:

-- Recover the lost federal money.

-- Require the school board to tighten controls over the lunch program.

-- Require Volusia County principals and cafeteria managers to properly carry out their duties as supervisors of food programs.

The Department of Agriculture started its investigation in April at the request of School Superintendent James Surratt, who received an anonymous tip earlier this year.